Steps to Fulfill Ph.D. Degree Requirements

If you have any questions, please arrange for a meeting with the graduate academic advisor or your faculty chair. Deadlines occur earlier than students often expect!

Plan courses for your first semester

Complete prior to the start of your classes.

Meet with your faculty advisor(s) to discuss your research interests and coursework needs.
Your Graduate Academic Advisor can provide general guidance, but final coursework approval will always come from your faculty advisor(s).

Submit your degree plan

Finish before you complete 36 hours.

Meet with your faculty advisor(s) to discuss research interests and coursework needs. List all previous, current and planned courses for your degree, as well as all committee members.
Have your plan approved by your graduate academic advisor, your committee chair and members, the director of Graduate Programs and the Graduate and Professional School.
Submit your plan via the Document Processing Submission System.
Failure to submit the required degree plan by the stated Grad School deadlines will result in a registration hold being placed on your account.

Expected Timeline: Degree plans can take upwards of two months for full approval.

Complete your qualifying exam

Must be completed by the end of your first academic year (occurs every May).

Written exam composed of a critical evaluation of a research article.
More information is provided in March-April during BMEN 674.
Failure to meet the required deadlines will result in you being placed on probation.

Expected Timeline: QE occurs in May, results published by late June.

Complete your coursework

Coursework must be completed within two years and one semester.

Ensure your completed coursework matches the degree plan and make any necessary changes through the Document Processing Submission System.

Complete your preliminary exam and proposal

Ph.D. students entering prior to fall 2022: you are required to complete the preliminary exam and proposal by the end of the 8^th semester in the biomedical engineering program (summers are included). Failure to meet the required deadlines will result in you being placed on probation.

Ph.D. students entering fall 2022 and after: you are required to complete the preliminary exam and proposal by the end of the seventh (7^th) semester in the biomedical engineering program (summers are included). Failure to meet the required deadlines will result in you being placed on probation.

Must be completed before the end of your 7^th or 8^th semester, depending on the term that you entered the biomedical engineering program (summers are included, please see note above).

Scheduled when no more than six hours of formal coursework remain uncompleted on the degree plan.

The preliminary exam is the oral defense of the proposal.

You must give the proposal to the committee at least two weeks before the exam date.

You will schedule this exam internally and turn in the appropriate forms to the graduate academic advisor.

Your exam and proposal must be approved by your graduate academic advisor, all members of your committee, the director of Graduate Programs and the Graduate and Professional School.

Failure to meet the required deadlines will result in you being placed on probation. Ph.D. Deadlines

Submit your preliminary examination checklist and report

You must initially submit at least two weeks prior to the preliminary exam date (see below for more details about the preliminary exam and proposal).

Complete your form via ARCS.
Have your form approved by your graduate academic advisor, all members of your committee, the director of Graduate Programs and the Graduate and Professional School. Form is due, in fully approved format, to the Graduate and Professional School within 10 business days of the preliminary exam.

Ph.D. students entering prior to fall 2022: you are required to complete the preliminary exam and proposal by the end of your 8^th semester in the biomedical engineering program (summers are included). Failure to meet the required deadlines will result in you being placed on probation.

Ph.D. students entering fall 2022 and after: you are required to complete the preliminary exam and proposal by the end of your 7^th semester in the biomedical engineering program (summers are included). Failure to meet the required deadlines will result in you being placed on probation.

Ph.D. Deadlines

Expected Timeline: Graduate and Professional School preliminary exam approvals can take several weeks for full approval, once received in that office.

Submit your research proposal approval form

Submit after the successful completion of your preliminary exam.

Complete your form via ARCS.
You must attach the full .pdf of your proposal.
You must include a timeline for all aims, publishing, defending and graduating. The department requires that you use NSF/NIH guidelines for formatting. Information on these formatting requirements can be found on this NIH webpage.
For more details, you should speak to your faculty advisor before writing your proposal.
Have your form approved by your graduate academic advisor, all members of your committee, the director of Graduate Programs and the Graduate and Professional School.

Ph.D. students are required to complete the proposal by the end of their 7^th or 8^th semester, depending on the term that the student entered the biomedical engineering program (summers are included). Failure to meet the required deadlines will result in the student being placed on probation.

Ph.D. Deadlines

Expected Timeline: Graduate and Professional School research proposal approvals, once received in that office, can take several weeks for full approval.

Complete your residence requirement

Before scheduling your final defense

Complete all graded coursework on your degree plan.

Ph.D. Deadlines

Apply for graduation

During the first month of your final semester.

Visit your Howdy portal or the Graduation homepage for more information and to pay your graduation fee.

Schedule and advertise your final defense

Your request must be received by the Graduate and Professional School, in fully approved format, at least 10 business days before requested defense date.

Submit your request and announcement of the final exam via ARCS in your Howdy portal.
Your submission must be approved by your graduate academic advisor, your committee chair, the director of Graduate Programs and the Graduate and Professional School.
Approvals can take several weeks so plan accordingly.

Ph.D. Deadlines

Expected Timeline: Graduate and Professional School final exam request approvals, once received in that office, can take at least 10 business days for full approval.

Submit your final defense results

Votes are due within 10 business days after your final defense.

Voting is completed via ARCS in the faculty’s Howdy portal by each committee member.
You will not be able to access results until the entire form is submitted and approved by the Graduate and Professional School.
Everything must be approved by your graduate academic advisor, all members of your committee, the director of Graduate Programs and the Graduate and Professional School.

Ph.D. Deadlines

Expected Timeline: Graduate and Professional School final exam votes approval, once received in that office, can take at least 10 business days for full approval.

Submit dissertation and written dissertation approval form

Submit after your successful completion of the final exam.

Complete your approval form via ARCS in your Howdy portal.
You must upload your final dissertation document in Vireo and per the Thesis Office requirements.
Your form must be approved by your graduate academic advisor, all members of your committee, the director of Graduate Programs and the Thesis Office.

Ph.D. Deadlines

Expected Timeline: Thesis Office dissertation approvals, once received in that office, can take several weeks for full approval.

Graduation

Arrange for your cap and gown by visiting the Graduation website.

Additional Information

Visit the Graduation website to arrange for your cap and gown.

Requirements listed above are for biomedical engineering and in some cases, are stricter than the university minimum guidelines. Failure to meet any of the above requirements could result in your dismissal from the program.
You must be continuously registered every fall and spring semester until all your degree requirements have been met.
You must submit all documents (e.g., proposal, dissertation) to your advisory committee at least two weeks prior to any milestone completion.

Additional Information

The requirements listed above are for BME and, in some cases, are stricter than the university's minimum guidelines. Failure to meet any of the above requirements could result in your dismissal from the program.
You must be continuously registered every fall and spring semester until all degree requirements have been met.
You must submit all documents (e.g., proposal, dissertation) to your advisory committee at least two weeks prior to any milestone completion.